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BY 



AUTHOR OF ••LOOKING BACKWARD AND FORWARD,'" AND NUMEROUS 
POEMS. A FEW OF WHICH ARE REPUBLISHED FOR THIS WORK. 



DEDICATED TO ALL WHO LOVE "THE GEM OF THE OCEAN."' 



I=*i^iCifeS. 



lO C^fcii-its. 



COLUMBUS GAZETTE, BOOK AND JOB PRINTING COMPANY: 

Columbus Juuetiou, Iowa. 



Copyright, January 1891. 
All Rights Reserved. 



^'^^ I^IOtdl 



"GOD IS LIGHT." "GOD IS LOVE," 

■The identification of light and electricity has been definitely- etabUahed."- 
llenz m Popular Science Monthly. 



O light! what art thouV 
Art electricity? Art Gociy 
He who fills heaven and earth and sea 
And all immensity and space, 
And who with light, His name, doth robe 
Himself? Art thou that one, the Word. 
He who, ere sang the mc rning stars 
Sent pole from right hy angel swift 
To waters dai'k below, and pole 
From left the same, which, touching deep. 
Did flash aci'oss one to embrace 
The other, pyramid making 
Wherein his light might dwell? 

Art thou in s^^irit form 
That subtle fluid, flashing thought 
Along the wii-e track, yea sound. 
And human voice, and glowing arc 
And sight?t And art thou Cupid's dart. 
And Hymen's torch, and mother love 
For child? Dwell'st thou in rainbow crowned 
Niagara, latent to tui-n . - 

The wheels of mill and factory - 
And shop and whii-ring car? _y"Kvt thou 
Ir lightning flash and_/->;:c^Aiise bow 
Alike? Art in Jfl-'/ic shrub that grows 
On mount: ' ja peak, and tree and grass 
And ".ivjwers in vale below that from 
'"'"I'he i-ainbow steal their matchless hues 

And drink the rain that brings it them? 

Is crimson tide of humans, slain 

In cruel war, thy. home as well 

As in the olive branch of Peace? 

O, tell us who or what thou ai-t. 

Since what to us seems light — what dark. 

Alike ai'e with thee found. We wait 

Thy voice to hear. 

*Introi]uetinu to a poem in eight parts. Six others are auswerH by 
ye three in one," and the eighth is an ascription of praise to "The Light 
of the Worlfl." 

tEdison'e latest invention. 



Tell us, thou First Born, tell to us 

What message soon may come of weal 

Or woe from thee. In darkness now 

We grope for thee as grope the blind, 

Though all around and in thou art. 

We go to heaven, we find thee on thy throne: 

We fly to hell, thy fires attest thee there: 

We ''take the wings of morn," and thei'e, 

Careering o'er the silent host 

On swifter wing than ours, we find 

Thee there. In prison chain of death. 

In star-crowned ensign free, wherein 

Three stars a coffin* hide, and dwells 

In every coffin strong a star 

To break the chains which bind the dead 

And set the captive free — Behold 

We find thee in them all. 

And thou. Electric Spai-k. 
Thou magnet, magic, magi, seer 
Of ages past, and wizard still. 
And harbinger of glory, power 
And unknown blessing yet to come, 
Pray tell us who or what thou art. 
Dwells in thy lock-ed doors and walls 
The secrets of the past, sought out 
By seer and sorcerer and sage 
And alchemist, who thought to find 
Thy hidden things and steal from thee 
Thy key, or widest it from the dead, 
Or scale with loftiness of mind 
Thy battlements, — yet all in vain? 
Art in the secret formula 
For gold, or carbon gem that bides 
The test of fire (thou must be there), 
1 ''n the oily lake that deep 
$^'" Y' ' , .. -mother earth 
In bowels of lib ^ ; nream or gas 
Sends forth the fluid b .^^ hast thou still 
That burns? What seci i. o>i s^^nd light 
To bless all men? Canst thv.u jt,- v ., 
Into the habitations dark 
Whei'e cruelty doth dwell? 



And tell,— ^**^ 

O tell us! Dwells the secret of the grave • ^ 

With thee? Tis this that bows us down the most 
Who weep aloud o'er open sepulchre S, 

Of love (yet love unheard by them who sleep). 
And tremble or rejoice to know 
We, too, must Ijave uncertain life 
And follow them. 

*In the ordinal stars and stripes containing thirteen stars 
the lowest star sets in a coffin shaped space between two otliers. 



/ 



AUTHOR'S PREFACE. 



As the child at school signs his name under "A fair sample of my 
handwriting," expecting that practice, training and kind criticism 
from a faithful teacher will improve his hand, so would the author 
venture these few pages, asking a friendly public to be his kind and 
faithful helper in a work not wholly a fiction. 

To forecast that work he would say with Columbia that he has "a 
premonition of coming good," and also his life "incidents" to confirm 
that feeling. The cartoon which led him to write this story he found 
in a comic illustrated paper which, though not given to light reading, 
he bought under a queer impression that it contained something im- 
portant. His life spent in the society of the rich as well as the poor, 
the educated as well as the ignorant, and the practical lessons gained 
thereby, has fitted him to write with a feeling of deep sympathy for 
the wronged in all classes. While his conception of color-law and 
plant growth in connection with the evolution of your National flag 
has caused to spring up in his heart a love of country, the strength 
and ardor of which is like an inspiration urging him onward. And 
he only asks that in the pai'ents and children and teachers of our 
beloved Columbia he may find such an help-meet as the one whom he 
now leaves to tell her strange, joyful story. 



COLUMBIA'S dUBILEE. 



:^y AA^ill EIHs-v^'C^r-tlnL. 



"The peaceful bugles blow aud blow across the silver sea, 
And speakest thou to every soul the world's great jubilee." 

— Butterwortb. 

It all seems like a dream. Yet here I am in the spring of 1893 in 
a body of real flesh and bones. A.nd what glorious things have I seen 
and heard in the year just past! I shall not try so much to describe 
them, dear reader, for the pen is but a poor substitute for eyes and 
ears, as to tell you how it all came about, and what part I had in 
bringing the Jubilee. 

My full name is, or was, Prances Columbia Gottsvort. In due 
time you shall know how I came to change it. How I came by my 
middle name I cannot tell. Like John the Baptist, none of my 
kindred bore that name, neither were they noted for patriotism. 
But there it stood on record in the old family Bible: "Frances 
Columbia Gottsvort, born July 4th, 1864." There, I have told you my 
age, something two years ago I would not like to have done. But I 
shall not gratify your further curiosity by giving you a pen picture 
of myself, as most heroines do who write of themselves. 

In times past I haye had the name of being fickle-minded, chang- 
ing often from one thing to another, building air castles only to see 
them tumble down before I could possibly make up my mind to live 
in them. My mind was always running to strange fancies, and one of 
them was that my name, Frances Columbia, (Frances means free) was 
an omen of some great good fortune yet to come, which may account 
for my penchant for building castles. Some years ago an incident 
occurred which, while it tended to strengthen in me this premonition 
of coming good, also played an important part in leading to the 
.lubilee. 

While teaching in the little village of Brighton, helping father 
+he "blanket" off his farm, one evening as I was sitting in 



my room in a brown study as usual, I picked up an illustrated maga- 
zine and in an aimless manner began to turn the leaves till I came to 
a colored cartoon which drew my attention, and which I will try to 
describe. 

It was about the time of the first serious outbreaks between labor 
and capital. The picture represented a big iron pot set over a fire, 
its contents labeled "labor troubles," the fire and fuel, "agitation.'" 
The smoke and steam arising separated into two clouds which took 
the form of two hideous, angry spectres facing each other, 
one a bloated capitalist, the other a mechanic with his paper cap and 
hammer. At the right sat Uncle Sam in his star-be-spangled coat 
and red striped trousers, and by his side stood Columbia in her royal 
robe, the stars and stripes, and on her brow the Star of Destiny. She 
points Uncle Sam to the spectral forms saying in the language of 
Shakespere (I am not sure that it is Shakespere, nor that I quote 
it right:) 

"Behold two monBtere! Enemies alike to us and to each other. 
May they like angry clouds, disperse themselves and leave fair weather." 
And at the top the sunlight was streaming in, and on it the inscrip- 
tion, "law and order." And now I must tell you how this led to the 
Jubilee. 

But it was the figure of Columbia that attracted me most. Stately 
and tall (not too tall,) perfect inform and feature, clear blue eyes 
and rose blush cheeks, and a mouth and chin whose linings showed 
resolution and firmness, softened by love and tenderness, while the 
star decked brow and the poise of the head told of the loftiness of 
mind and the latent power beneath that wealth of nut-bi*own hair; 
such a head and face as one never tires gazing upon. Well, shall I 
confess it? I found myself drawing a mental comparison between 
that figure and her namesake. I was of medium height, had blue 
eyes, red cheeks and dark brown hair, no mistake about that, and my 
form was well rounded for a girl just out of her teens. Then I studied 
the mouth and chin, and even took the cartoon to the looking-glass 
to make the comparison closer; and I fancied I did see a faint trace 
of the lines showing resolution and firmness in my own. Now while 
I own I am changeable and absent minded about some things, I have 
noticed there are others to which I adhere with a tenacity which 
shows a strange contradiction — There, that reminds me I promised 
you I wouldn't say one word about how I look. That is a sample, 
dear reader, of my mind wanderings. So if you find some queer ideas 
before you finish, don't censure me, for they come and go like un- 
bidden guests, and I am powerless to bar' or retain them, unless I 
write them down. 

It was at a teachers' association I saw and heard that which 
brought it back to me. By the way, what grand, noble minds we 



meet at those associations — men and women who live ahove the murk 
of jjolitics and tobacco smoke and greed of gold and empty fame. 
They are the nation's benefactors; for out of their treasuries of rich 
thought they drop precious jewels which we, as teachers, gather up, car- 
ry home with us and plant in the hearts of our little ones. He who 
works through the heart of the child, chooses the quickest and surest 
channel to reach and educate and elevate the nation. 

. A lecture on "Ethics in the School" was the programme for the 
evening. We all went, more from a sense of duty than anything else, 
expecting from the title something dry. But how quickly our minds 
'lost that idea at the first words of the speaker: 

"In the breaking out of the Rebellion, there was a scripture verse 
upon the lips of the nation: 'Thou hast given a banner to them that 
fear thee, that it ma,y be displayed because of the truth.'" At these 
words by means of a stereopticon, till now unnoticed, an attendant 
threw on the screen a beautiful picture of the national flag over a 
village school-house, while the speaker continued, 

"That banner floats proudly over our land and homes and schools 
today, and calls upon us as educators, as believers in the elevation of 
the human race to defend the cause of freedom in its fullest sense, — 
freedom from all bondage, physical, mental and moral. Our Creator 
has hung out upon the scroll of the universe, and inscribed upon the 
first page of the Book of books the tricolor of our Nation, the red, the 
white, the blue; for 

"All thy hues were born in Heaven." 

Under these conditions plant growth began. The elements of 
life in the seed-germ, fed by the 'earth and clothed with blue sky 
and yellow sunshine brought forth the green herb and tree (here 
plant growth was illustrated) which coining to maturity bear fruits 
and flowers of every rainbow hue (here the garden of Eden was seen 
spanned by the rainbow.) And so must moral development come from 
the moral life germ, fed by knowledge, and clothed with faith and 
truth. 

Our educational system is deformed. We are educating the 
mental and physical jDowers to the neglect of the moral. As well 
might we attomj^t to paint that garden scene and omit a primary 
color, as to expect a human being to develop into the image of God 
without moral development along with the physical and the mental. 
"God is light" (here the jirism was used to show the composition of 
light) and in that light is life, and there can be no true moral life 
without an all wise Creator and the reception of the moral life-germ 
from Him. And when begun, that moral life, like plant life, is a 
development." 

This last illustration struck me with such tremendous force I lost 
the rest; for I am passionately fond of color harmony, and I had 



And what is life, canst tell usV 
We know that death is life away, 
As cold betokens absent heat. 
But what is life? Couldst thou to us 
This and the other answer give 
We all would bless, and praise and laud 
Thee to the skies, aye, were it not 
Idolatry, a god would make of thee. 

And art thovi God? 
As Moses unto Aaron was a God, 
Shall we receive thee? Will thou be 
To us deliv'rer great and strong, 
And gather us and all we love 
At tyrant court of Death and him 
Who has its power, and poise the rod , 
And bid them "let my people go?" 
Wilt send thy judgements on their land 
From blood, to first born on the throne? 
O, for a stronger hand than ours 
To break proud Pharaoh's cruel chains 
And set our loved ones free! And canst 
Thou do it? 

And there are other slaves than these; 
There toils the widow, slave to cold 
And hunger and her little ones 
Who cry for bread and fire to warm 
Their naked feet. And there on bed, 
In merchant home of opulence. 
Lies a fair form, the pride of home, 
A maiden, fever burned (with heat 
They tell us comes from thee), — a slave. 
And there are slaves in tenement 
And hovel dark the same; without 
A hand to bathe the fevered brow, 
Or bring the icy draught to cool 
The parched lips, or close the eyes 
When burns the fire till spirit leaves 
The clay. And there are slaves to gold 
And greed of gain (say, canst thou warm 
Their hearts so they in turn will warm 
The feet of orphan child ? ) and there 
Are slaves to drink, and vice, and crime, 
Fast filling up the charnel house 
Of Death, and bringing clouds of woe 
Upon themselves, and them who'd choose 
To live in light as well. And Oh 
That thou with harmless lightning bolt 
Or steady glow, might burn away 
These clouds, and banish night 
And bring eternal day. 



And then, Electric Spark, 
If thou art light, and wouldst be God, 
Or His ambassador, thou must 
Be Love. And in that form, a cold 
And cruel world needs thee the most, — 
To pour thy oil upon the Deep, 
Storm tossed between the nations when, 
Maddened, they hurl their armies forth 
To make of thee Death's messenger. 
When thou, if left alone, would bring- 
Instead the olive branch of Peace — 
To preach thy gospel new to all 
Mankind: To angry mob who toil; 
To wronged and wronging lord of shop 
And mine who locks his doors upon 
Them all; to rich and poor alike 
Who wait to hear thy longed for, sweet 
And welcome voice. 
O come in angel form of Peace, 
And banish feud and hate and strife, 
And soi'ton hearts, and bid them look 
For good e'en in the vile: for none 
So vile, but thou canst find within 
A latent germ in which thy spark 
May start a flame to bui-n, and grow 
Into a better life, and make 
The good to swallow up the bad. 
E'en as a plant drinks in the air 
Poisoned by foulest breath, and in 
Return gives back the fragrant flower. 
And lucious fruit, light crowned and sweet 
And pleasant to the eye. 

And the hymenial ties 
Which once were formed beneath thy light 
They, too, are severed oft: and love 
Of kindj'ed, and par-ental love 
Grow cold; and Union, Charity 
And Pity stand without and weej}, 
While Might his door brings to and locks. 
And leaves them standing with bare feet 
Upon the icy pave of stone 
Still warmer, softer than his heart. 
Now if ye three in one, Light, Love 
And Electricity, will be 
Oil, angel fair, and fire to warm 
The feet and heart, and bium awa^^ 
The cloud of war, and bring eternal j)eace. 
And tell to us the secret of the grave. 
We'll run the risk, and worship thee. 
And throne thee neath the Stars and Stripes, 
And take thee for our God. 



LIGHT ON COLUMBIA. 

"Send out thy light and thy truth." 

Hark! "Peace on earth good will to men" the theme: 
The choral angels bear it from on high, 
And, floating like a banner in the sky, 

Lo! See it in the star of Bethleham. 

Peace, peace on earth good will to men comes down: 
The shepherds of the flock take up the strain. 
The Magi read it in the star again — 

Far famed in Chaldee for their high renown. 

He came, the Prince of Peace, the Light, the Way. 
*■ He came, all men to heal, and save and bless, 

To teach the meek and poor His righteousness, 

The manger hid him on that Christmas day. 

The Light into the darkness kindly shone. 

The darkness hid but short its peaceful rays. 
He I'ests within the tomb th' appointed days. 

He rises now, the Light upon the throne. 

Long in the darkness has the true Light shone. 

Long has the darkness heard the song of peace. 
The light increasing bids the darkness cease, 

The poor, the needy long that peace to own. 

Long for that peace have weary nations striven. 
Long have they sought it to the ends of earth. 
Unmindful that it comes of heav'nly birth. 

Forgetful that it flows from highest highest heaven. 

But now from out the heav'n of God's pure love 
Behold it in the skies, the sign of morni 
The Bethlehem star proclaims a nation born— 

The earth brings forth, all nations shake and move. 

For seel That Bethlehem star has brighter grown; 
And on it fair Columbia's ensign see — 
The stars and stripes, the banner of the free. 

The Light in rainbow hues has kindly sho wn. 

For soon His scepter o'er our land shall rule — 
The rod of *gold, the children's choice I see. 
And our Columbia, by the Son made free. 

Has set her ensign fair above the school, 

"Of such the kingdom," blessed in His name, 
O, sing ye children —generation blesti 
O. sing ye, praise ye who in Him find rest. 

The glad new song of Moses and the Lamb. 

The Golden-rod, the children's choice tor a National flower. 



RAISING THE SCHOOL-HOUSE FLAG. 

[Hezekiah Butterworth.] 

To-day the birthright of her hopes the young-er nation sings, 
As on the pinions of the light the banner lifts its wings, 
To-day the future on us smiles, and studious labors cease. 
To set the flag above the school, our fortress wall of peace! 

War bvigles old, storm-beating drums, and veterans scarred and true 
And children marching for the States, 'mid roses wined with dew, 
Behind ye thrice a hundred years, before a thousand grand. 
What says the past to you to-day, O children of the landV 
What are thy legends, O thou flag that gladdenest land and seaV 
What is thy meaning in the air amid the jubilee? 
Flag of the sun that glows for all. 
Flag of the breeze that blows for all, 
Flag of the sea that flows for all. 
Flag of the school that stands for all. 
Flag of the people, one and all. — 
The peaceful bugles blow and blow across the silver sea; 
What is thy meaning in the air? O banner, answer me I 

No azvu^e pavon old art thou, borne on the Palmer's spear; 
No oriflamme of Red Cross Knight, or coiffured cavalier; 
No gold pomegranates of the sun burn on thy silken cloud, 
Nor Shamrock green, nor Thistle red, noi- Rampant Lion proud: 
No burning bees on talTeta in gold and crimson wrought. 
Nor eagle poising in the sky above the ocelot. 
No gaping dragons haunt thy folds as in the white sun's spray, 
When westering Vikings turned their prows fromnoonless Norrowav: 
No double crowns beneath the cross are on thy hues unfurled, 
Such as the Prophet Pilot led toward the sunset world; 
No artists vision, circlet-crowned, such as with knightly pride 
Old Balboa threw upon the air o'er the Pacific tide. 

Not e'en St. George's Cross is there that led the Mayflower on. 
Nor old St. Andrews Cross of faith — the Double Cross is gone. 
The peaceful bugles blow and blow across the silver sea, 
What is thy meaning, O thou flag, this day of jubilee? 
Flag of the sun that shines for all, 
Flag X^the breeze that blows foi- all. 
Flag oi the sea that flows for all. 
Flag of the school that stands for all, 
Flag of the people, one and all — 
What is thy meaning in the air? O banner, answer me I 

O children of the States, yon flag more happy lustres deck 
Than oriflammes of old Navarre or Cressy or Rosebeq. 
The Covenanter's field of blue, caught from the clear sky, see. 
And Lyra's burning stars of peace and endless unity. 
The morning beaiiis across it stream in roses red and white. 
As though 'twere outward rolled from heaven by angels of the light. 
All hall to thee, celestial flag, on this prophetic dayl 
That minglest with the light of heaven the morn's eternal ray. 
The peaceful bugles blow and blow across the silver sea. 
And speakest thou to every soul the great world's jubilee! 



Flag of the battle-fields, with pride beneath thy folds I stand, 
While gyveless Freedom lifts to thee her choral trumpets grand — 
Thou stand'st for Monmouth's march of fire, for Trenton's lines of flame, 
For rippling Eutaw's field of blood, for Yorktown's endless fame; 
For Cape de Gatt, and fierce Algier's, and Perry's blood-red deck, 
For Vera Cruz, and Monterey, and white Chapultepec; 
Thou stand'st for Svimter's broken wall, as high above Tybee 
The shouting forts uplift again the stars of unity; 
Thou stand'st that all the rights of men may every people bless, 
And God's own kingdom walk the world in peace and rightousnessi 
The silver bugles blow and blow across the silver sea, 
And so thou speak'st to every soul this day of jubilee. 

O my America, whose flag we throne amid the sky, 
Beneath whose folds 'tis life to live and noblest death to die, 
I hear the peaceful bugles blow across the silver sea. 
And bless my God my palace stands a cottage home in thee I 
So speak the voices of the Past, ye children of the land, 
Behind us thrice an hundred years, before a thousand grand, 
Such are the legends of yon flag that gladdens land and sea. 
Such is the Hand that scrolls the air this day of jubilee. 
Flag of the sun that shines for all. 
Flag of the breeze that blows for all, 
Flag of the sea that flows for all. 
Flag of the School that stands for all. 
Flag of the people, one and all — ' 

Hail! flag of Liberty! all hail! 
Hail, glorious years to come! 

[Original.] 

So lift we up thy crimson stripes, thy light and field of blue, 
That nations may thy gospel learn: our golden sceptre new 
Wave over England's lion proud, o'er Gei-man eagle brave. 
O'er cruel bear and lily fair, O let that sceptre wave! 
O'er ermine white and triple crown, o'er crescent on the wane. 
O'er evei-y land, o'er every clime, o'er all that plow the main. 
Let gospel light and love and peace unite in WORK of love. 
And shining stars the lesson teach of Morning Star above. 
Let Love, and Truth, and Knowledge reign, and Mercy at their side. 
Then Righteousness and Peace shall kiss, and Truth with Mercy bide. 
O let the flag from o'er the SCHOOL in Righteousness look down, 
Its shadow rest on tender Truth, and children wear the crown; 
Flag of our own free school and home, 
Flag of true freedom yet to come. 
Flag which shall float from every dome, 
While to thy folds all nations come. 
Thy Gospel bugles blow and blow across the silver sea. 
And sweetly tell the coming joy — Columbia's Jubilee. 

*The Golden-rod. 



STORY OF THE BANNER. 

At the dawning of the morning, angel voices to me whispei', 
And they tell to me the story of the banner of the free. 

Light into the darkness shining — See, the cross and crowns are coming, 
And the *standard bearer brings them to the shores of western sea. 

Then, again across the ocean, come a band of Pilgrim Fathers; 

On the shores of rocky Plymouth, lift the cross and bow the knee. 
This a crimson flag and gory, with St. George's cross upon it, 

From an island and a kingdom just beyond the deep blue sea. 

Then I hear the muskets rattle, and I see the smoke of battle, 
And from out the cloud of war there comes a flag of azure hue. 

Tho' the cross is still upon it, yet the evergreen is springing. 
Mingling sky with yellow sunbeam to foretell of nation new. 

r 

Golden emblem of all knowledge, with its warning stands above it. 
Teaching all that truest wisdom in the fear of God is found. 

This the boon our fathers left us, thus to worship Him in freedom, 
And their prayers to heav'n ascending, consecrate the sacred ground. 

Then I see a snow-white standard, with the evergreen upon it. 
Lifting up to highest heaven a petition to our God. 

And to answer that petition, comes the eagle beai'er downward, 
To transplant the tree of TRUTH upon Columbia's blessed sod. 

Now upon this flag of purity thus reft of its green fir tree, 
See, the crimson rays of morning stripe its folds of snowy white: 

While the stars in heav'n are twinkling in the north and to the west- 
ward, 
Fading out into the dawning of a clear and better light. 

Then from out the womb of morning come the Seraphim of glory. 

Seel They bear with them a standard — 'tis Columbia's banner free, 
While the I'aindrops gently falling on the hillside and the valley — 

Look! The bow of promise spans them to foretell the jubilee. 

•Columbus, whose name. Christopher, signifies "Christ-bearer." 



dabbled with pigments and brush just enovigh to feel the force of this 
pointed, painted simile. I went from that hall a wiser, better woman- 
determined henceforth to strive to develop that moral life, and first 
of all in myself. I had considered myself a moral person in a general 
way, but this pointed way of putting it had shown me how low was the 
standard I had set and how far short I came from reaching even that. 

I was not much given to Bible reading; but that night I went 
home and took down the old dust-covered Bible, and by chance (was it 
by chance?) it opened to the seventh chapter of Isaiah. There I read 
that some time (I was not historian enough to tell from the context 
when) a man should take care of a young cow and two sheep, and that 
they would give so much milk that everyone in the land shouldj,ea-j^ 
butter and honey. I read aloud that far and then broke down laugh- 
ing. The idea of one cow and two sheep (How many farmers milk 
sheep anyway'?) giving enough milk and butter to supply the whole 
country. It didn't say country, bvit I got that idea, and I think 
almost every one does who reads it. Here was a pretty end to my 
good resolutions — laughing over the sacred page! 

Then I fell to meditating. I -thought of the lecture and the flag 
and the sunlight, and some way that cartoon came back to me, and I 
saw Uncle Sam and got him into the shoes of this farmer with two 
sheep and a cow. I thought of his creameries from one end of the 
land to the other, and though I had to admit that the price of butter 
didn't tally very well with the scripture, and though I knew thousands 
of the poor in the cities couldn't get even oleomargerine, and had 
hard work to get bread to eat with their no-butter-and-honey, I was 
just as sure it wasn't Uncle Sam's fault, unless his fault was in being 
careless; for he has such a kindly face he wouldn't let the poor suffer 
if he knew it. But the combined capital of a few men so controlled 
the live-stock market and the product of the diary, that the farmers 
had taken to knocking the heifer calves in the head, and good cows 
were selling for less than it cost to winter them; and yet butter was 
thirty cents a pound. As to the honey I knew that there were bees 
enough to make it, for bees are not only very diligent and very 
prolific, but they ai'e perfectly free to live off the fields and flowers 
of othei'S. They are the ti-ue representatives of a commonwealth — 
in that hive. 

Then I remembered that Christ was the good shepherd and knew 
his sheep and had commanded his disciples to feed them. And I 
wondered if Uncle Sam were a disciple of Christ, and if so, why he 
didn't take better care of his cow and two sheep. That put a new turn 
to ray thoughts. I took a concordance and began (something ne\v for 
me) to "search the scriptures,"' hunting up the passages that sijoke 
of sheep and cattle. I found three which I marked. The first was 



about "the lost sheep of the house of Israel," the next about Ephi'aira 
"a heifei* that is taught" and the third where a man with wounded 
hands says: "I am no prophet, for man taught me to keep cuttle 
from my youth.'' This couldn't be Jesus, for He was the prophet 
greater than Moses. I had got thoroughly in earnest by this time; 
but that was just like me, everybody said I went headlong into what- 
ever I took up. But who else would ever have run into such a curious 
train of thought from such a curious scripture? 

Next I hunted out the word Ephriara. I found he was the 
younger son of .Josejih whom Jacob and Moses both prophesied would 
become a great nation, "a fullness of nations" Jacob said ''in the last 
days." I went on reading passage after passage, many of which I 
covild see no sense to, till I came to one in Jeremiah which spoke of 
Mt. Ephriam as "the chief of the nations," and on reading the context 
I found this too, was to be "in the latter days." What if Mt. Ephriam 
shculd turn cut to be the Unitf d States! Did not our last census give 
us first rank among nations'? Perhaps my idea about Uncle Sam and 
the young cow was not so far-fetched after all. At all events I marked 
that last passage and the place I was reading, and as it was now late, 
went to bed. 

That night I dreamed that a man who looked like Uncle Sam 
only that he was very poorly clothed, came sailing down to me in a 
cigar shaped air ship, and with- him he brought a beavitiful white calf 
and two little lambs which he gave to rae saying: "Take them, keep 
them and raise them. I want you to care for them better than you 
did the others." This dream made a vivid impression on my mind. 
Considering my thoughts of the evening before there was nothing 
remai'kable in it, yet it was destined to play a very important part in 
the .Jubilee. 

Monday morning I returned to my school work. A spring shower 
the night before had blessed the coming green sward, and the trees, 
and the birds and the early flowers all seemed in a merry mood while 
the lingering rain drops on violet and buttercup sparkled like jewels 
set in purple and gold. All nature was joyous, and I caught the 
inspiration as I sang with my little fellow learners that morning: 
"I live for those who love me, 

For those who know me true. 
For the heaven that smiles above me, 
And the good that I can do." 

My work that day seemed almost a revelation as I told my chil- 
ili en the beautiful, grand lesson 1 had brought with me from the 
lecture room. And at night you should have seen their eyes sparkle 
as I said to them, 

"Now my little helpers, Arbor Day comes in two weeks, shall we 
plant cur tree tnd raite the flag'? How many will help'?" Up went 



every Tiand and, boy like, some of the older ones raised both, and one 
little urchin stuck up his foot, which act I of course rebuked. 

''Where shall we get our flag'?" was my next query, which was 
not so easily answered. "Sell eggs and buy one" said my irrei^ressi- 
ble who had voted thrice. A look silenced him. ''Borrow the G. A. 
R. flag," said a boy whose father had been a soldier. 

"Not a bad idea," I replied, ''but can we get if?" "You might 
find out tonight." "Miss G.," said my oldest girl, "why can't we do 
something to get a flag of our own. I don't like borrowing; it don't 
seem independent to borrow a flag." 

"That objection is well put," I remarked, "we certainly ought to 
be independent on Independence day and why not on Arbor Day as 
well? Let us all think it over and i*eport tomorrow nigiit." And 
with that I closed school. 

On my way home I called at the postoffice and received a plain 
envelope to my address. It contained a circular beginning as follows: 

JUBILEE GREETING. 

Teacher and Pupil: Do you want a genuine bunting flag for your 
school'? Send 10c. and learn how for a little work you can get one 
free. 

Just the thing. I sent fo'- instructions and in three days received 
an answer, with a beautiful patriotic picture, a companion poem 
describing it and directions for framing. These and other patriotic 
emblems and works were to be sold by the children and the cash 
commission given used to purchase the flag. 

But the plan did not stop here. Each school was to organize n Jubi- 
lee band, and each member give a silver dime to start a school bank, 
and then sell the emblems to swell its contents, or work in any way 
he might choose. These school banks would create a lecture fund in 
each county to start in it a lecture comjjany who would give simple 
lectures on light and electricity illustrated by the stereopticon and 
suitable apparatus. The band would sell tickets to these lectures, 
and the proceeds went to a Jubilee fund to clothe and bring the poor 
children in the cities and elsewhere to the Columbian Exposition in 
1893, there to meet the school children of the nation in a grand chil- 
dren's Jubilee. 

At the close all were asked to help. The laborer with dime in 
hand, and the capitalist with diamond hand too. The wealthy were 
asked to donate one mill on the dollar of their income for a Jubilee 
fund in each state. This alone if. complied with would furnish ample 
means to begin the work. Were it not for two extreme classes these 
appeals would meet with a quicker response: One is the Shy locks 
and the other the leeches; and between these two extremes are the 
two means, the worthy poor who seldom ask, and the generous rich 



who, but for the leeches, would know where to give. These leeches 
love to "go tothe rich a(u)nt" (or anyone else who will support the 
lazy things) "and consider her ways'' and means, and their children 
grow up as idle and useless and ignorant as themselves, while Uncle 
Sam carries them all on his back and provides free schools to disci- 
pline, educate and fit those children for a life of usefulness. 

It is a simple problem in simple proportion; given the two ex- 
tremes and the first mean to find the second. And shall another 
generation be allowed to grow up and make this problem tenfold more 
difficult, and widen the gulf between the " pooi' and the rich? Uncle 
Sam's load now almost breaks him down. And then I could not help 
thinking if the extreme on the other hand would ask that hand to 
exchange its diamond ring for a plain gold band, and then on a cold 
December morning take the thousand dollars saved and cover a 
thousand pairs of little bare feet that sting and ache with the cold, 
both jeweled hand and little bare feet would feel warmer, and the 
warmth would run from hand to heart, and heart and hand and feet 
would all feel better, and God's blessing would rest on all. 

This problem must be solved, and if the first mean will act as 
daysman to get both hands to work together, and each to perform its 
duty as multiplicand and multiplier, so there will be more means to 
hunt out and help the widow, the orphan and the children of the 
drunkard and the profligate, the barrier which hides the second mean 
from the first will disappear like the double colon between them, or 
the cloud-faces over the big iron pot, and God's rain will descend and 
put out the fire, and Uncle Sam's load will drop from him like Pil- 
grim's at the wicket gate, and the sunshine will come in and dispel 
the clouds, and on their vanishing forms will be seen the bow of 
promise arching the nation, God's pledge of safety and blessing to 
all. And this was one gi'oat object of the })lan in the Jubilee cii'cular, 
which was unique in that it proposed to make the CHILDREN the days- 
man between the rich and the poor. 

We sent for samples, formed a band of thirteen, sold the emblems 
and earned enough to get our flag for Arbor Day, and start our bank 
with a paid up capital of $7.00 besides our membership fees. But how 
to add to this fund was the question. We had visited every house in 
district until I fear we tried the good nature of our moso patriotic and 
liberal i)atrons. The plan did not reach far enough to furnish work 
for all, and without work any enterprise will fail. 

As I thought on this plan so worthy of success, all at once my 
dream popped into my mind. Why could not the children in each 
family raise a calf, one or two sheep or at lea.st a brood of chickens, 
keep them till the year for the Jubilee and sell them for the Jubilee 
work'? I proposed my plan to the school and as soon as the consent 



^ 



work for all, our band increas 

could pledge for the care of four ea't, % 

of chickens. We bought the lambs y-^y^^ has arise.. u,.oq '-^ fore- 

calves and hens we got for the asking. „. . ^.^^^ine how 

much interest we all took in the work, nor wiiat a sjHrit of mutual 

good will and solicitude for its success attended it. 

Well, to make my story short, our plan worked so well, I coupled 
it with that of the flag circular, wrote it out in the form of ar essay 
on "Philanthropy in Public Schools," and read it at the next County 
Association. An editor of a prominent educational journal was 
present, asked for my MS. and published it with a verbal account I 
gave him of the origin, work, and success of our band. The ex- 
changes took it up, and it ran like wild fire all through the land, and 
letters of inquiry came in so fast I had to employ a secretary until the 
close of my school. 

Among these letters came one from our publisher who furnished 
us the flag. He paid me a visit soon after and we got acquainted and 
found our plans and lives so well suited to each other that — well, I 
promised I would tell you how I came to change my name; but I 
cannot stop to tell you more. Suffice it to say our souls are bound 
together in this life-work for the Master. Soon our circulars were in 
such demand we moved to a small town near the Mississippi rivei 
whei-e there were good mail facilities, built a small office and com- 
menced publishing the Rainbow, a small weekly devoted to the work 
of the Jubilee. 

By this time bands by the score were sending in repoi'ts of or- 
aiization, work, and condition and size of their flocks. Loving 
hearts, clear heads and willing hands joined us to devise' ways and 
means to extend the work to the cities and towns, and many of the 
wealthy who had refused their help when most needed, now gave so 
liberally, (better late than never, God bless them) that we decided to 
antedate the exposition and hold the Jubilee in our own beautiful and 
spacious valley on Oct. 12, 1892. As the time drew near we were 
obliged to issue the Rainbow daily. An estimate from our band 
reports showed that from three to five million children would be in 
attendance. At this the I'ailroads caug'ht the inspiration some offer- 
ing free passage and the rest reducing rates to a penny a mile, and 
the steamboat lines were equally liberal. 

About this time the Mt. Carmel air-ship came into use, and we 
chartered one for each state to bring its prize flock and the band that 
raised it to the Jubilee, and also a small one for the girl-queen of the 
Netherlands who accepted our invitation to come. Contracts were 
now let for the Jubilee uniform which consisted of a skv blue suit 



^ee /vrmy of Help) in gold on the 
the same except a choice of red. 

Ha erywhere calling on all, rich and poor 

to send in orders and measure for each of their childi'en a uniform. 
Those who were able would buy them, all who were not would receive 
them free. Manufacturers were crowded to fill their orders, and 
especially these of flags, tents and decorations, were compelled 
for full three months to run night and day. State and county train- 
ing conventions were employing the best talent to discipline the bands 
and drill them in vocal and instrumental music, according to a 
National prog»*amme prepared by the general committee. A unique 
feature of this programme was a torchlight drill with colored lan- 
terns. Stereopticons of gigantic size and power were made to enter- 
tain and instruct the great multitude in the elements of light, color 
and plant growth, and the evolution of our National flag in harmony 
with them, for it was from this came the Jubilee. 

And now, kind reader, that we have come to the long looked for 
day, my pen fails me. Imagine if you can 5,000,000 children marching 
in unifoi'm; flags and banners waving, bands playing, children sing- 
ing, old and young rejoicing, rich and poor mingling together in one 
common brotherhood. Strikes and lockouts for the time forgotten in 
this blessed "peace on earth," and over each delegation, like an angel 
of peace, floated a white-winged air ship with its "young cow and two 
sheep" and a sweet little maiden of six with crown and scepter (the 
golden rod), the queen of her state; her retinue a bevy of happy boys 
and girls, — jolly little farmei's, errand boys, newsboys, knights of the 
brush — all supplied with the star spangled banner which thej^ wave 
to the answering multitudes below. 

And now while busy hands are loading tables miles in length with 
their "feast of fat things" I drop the curtain, reader, leaving you to 
join the hungry, happy millions who soon will be seated there with 
bowed heads and folded hands, waiting God's blessing on the bounties 
spread before them. 

And now with a few words to tell you of some of the blessings this 
Julileo left us, I must close. First of all a convention was held, and 
the .Jubilee Army in a modified form was made a permanent medium 
to look up and support the widows and orphans and waifs of the 
nation. For these, homes were found where kind hearts receive 
them, industrial schools are being founded for the children, and the 
lecture troupe has become a permanent, movable fixture to teach the 
moral lessons in natural and national life. And there is every indica- 
tion that we have ccme to learn, with Dr. Leete, that the enemies of 




our i^..„^-. 

cold and nakedness, as weiT-^^ 

and crime of whatever name. Wt^^ 

nium, but we feel as if the Star of Destiny has arisbxi upun us to fore- 
tell the coming day. 

We are now taking steps to send workers to other nations, sup- 
ported by men and women of wealth who only needed to see this 
gathering of feeble women and children with their gaunt, pinched, 
careworn faces (for the marks of poverty cannot be effaced in a day) 
in contrast with the rosy-cheeked, healthy looking boys and girls of 
our country schools, to touch their kind but careless hearts with pity 
for the poor, and awaken them to a sense of their duty to rescue their 
less blessed brothers and sisters, from their helpless condition. A 
permanent fund is now ready to support the Deaconesses and the 
King's Daughters and all the noble, self-sacrificing workers who toiled 
with their hands and cried out to God with their hearts till He opened 
the windows and poured out the blessing. 

And now with a goodby, I must tell you how at the Jubilee last 
October they would have husband and me dress in the garb of Uncle 
Sam and Columbia, and on my head they placed a crown bearing the 
Star of Destiny. 

[the end.] 



iw/ML_w, FREEDOM. 

'Tween mountain and mountain, by jjarent of watei's, 

Where float on its bosom the lake and the rill, 
In a beautiful land lies the fairest of valleys, 

Bespangled by many a sunny crowned hill. 
In the midst of that vale stands an humble, blest cottage. 

And towering- above it, a million of sjiires; 
'Tis the home of my birthright, my pride and my blessing, 

Bequeathed unto me by the blood of my sires. 

The showers descend on the hillside and river. 

The sunshine through cloud breaks upon the glad bovvers; 
While the bow of His promise of goodness forever 

Comes up from the waters and rests on the flowers. 
Methinks in that glory, as born in the heavens, 

I see floating o'er me the flag of the free. 
While its glistening stars like the raindrops are shining. 

Foretelling the the day of the great jubilee. 

And over that banner His wings of protection. 

From danger and harm shield each star in her pride, 
As high on the mountains the eaglets are sheltered. 

By pinions of mother-bird o'er them spread wide. 
So on the unthankful as well as the just ones, 

His blessings in sunshine and shower on us fall. 
O where is the nation whose ensign can bring us 

The safety thus pledged unto one and to all. 

Then let those blest wings hover over our dwellings, 

And Charity fill our broad land with her love. 
Thus Freedom shall bring us a blessing from heaven. 

Sent down on our homes from our Father above. 
O Spirit divine of our grand Constitution, 

Breathe over the sons of our forefathers gone; 
Tillechoes the chorus from ocean to ocean, 

Of "Union and Liberty— God reigns alone." 



f 



AUTHOR'S APPENDIX. 



It is the author's purpose to publish soon a larger volume under 
the same title, containing other original poems, and many additional 
features. Among these will be found a series of lectui-es woven in 
with Columbia's inimitable meditations, plans and practical applica- 
tions both to heart and hand. In these lectures a system of ethical 
teaching for our public schools will be set forth in which "the two 
extremes," the infidel and the ardent sectarian, will find common 
ground on which to meet, and which the ''means" must occupy soon 
to avert the coming struggle for the freedom of our schools and 
homes. That peaceful ground is patriotic philanthropy. Union in 
its fullest sense, and if the children like a tender plant, shall be 
set therein, that plant will send its root downward and its stem up- 
ward, and from it will spring up a tree whereon will grow the fruits 
of righteousness, and under whose shadow the nation may find safety. 
and happiness and freedom from every yoke; and to which all nations 
in time will come "flocking like doves." 



In preparation: 
Price 10 cents. 



'LIGHT", a new poem on 



\ Light, 
■j Love and 
( Electricity. 



LIBRftRY OF CONGRESS 



018 597 180 6 



(JUBILEE GREETING, 



Teacher and Pupil: — Do you want a genuine bunt- 
ing flag for your school? Send' ten cents for a sample 
emblem of Union, Liberty and Charity, with a list of 
other emblems and works and learn how to get one, free. 
Best of reference given, and every offer made good. 
Address. Will Ellsworth, 

Columbus Junction, 
Iowa. 



To THE Reader: — Help this work for Columbia's 
Jubilee, now already begun, and now in its greatest hour 
of need. Send to above address for particulars, reference 
imd plans. 



HoUing 

pH 



LIBRARY OF CONGRESS 



018 597 180 6 



Hollinger Corp. 
pH 8.5 



